July 15, 2022
Inspired to help orangutans facing habitat destruction for palm oil agriculture, Malia disregards her teacher's warning and circulates a petition through her private school in Surabaya, Indonesia. The seventh grader garners peer support, but the petition falls afoul of the government's pro-palm oil stance, resulting in both Malia's and her teacher's suspensions. Meanwhile, Ari has moved to the city to work in his uncle's restaurant and attend middle school. Ari feels guilty for his good luck and even more guilty as he looks after Ginger Juice, the sad-eyed orangutan trapped in a too-small cage at the restaurant. Ari feels helpless until he learns about Malia's petition, which offers information about rescuing captive orangutans. All the while, Ginger Juice dreams of the jungle and her lost mother. Told through alternating viewpoints, Malia's and Ari's chapters detail the corruption, inequities, and prejudices that are obstacles to activism as well as the differences between Ari's village life and Malia's privileges. Ginger Juice's sections, written in stilted language, do communicate the awful nature of her plight but also tend toward depicting orangutans as less-intelligent humans as opposed to fully competent beings who are intelligent in their own ways. By contrast, the portrayal of Malia's experiences as the biracial daughter of an Indonesian father who has passed away and a White mother from Toronto is nuanced and well integrated into the larger plot. A stirring introduction to the plight faced by orangutans. (map, glossary, orangutan information and resources, author's note) (Fiction. 8-13)

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August 1, 2022
Grades 4-7 Seventh-graders Malia and Ari seem unlikely to cross paths. Malia has had a privileged upbringing at one of Indonesia's best schools, and Ari is grateful to be attending a less prestigious academy in a neighboring town. But one subject binds them together: orangutans. Malia is an outspoken critic of palm oil plantations that decimate the apes' rain forest home, while Ari has a deep affinity for his uncle's caged pet orangutan, Ginger Juice, along with guilt about her captivity. When the kids' lives finally overlap, a series of events changes their lives--and Ginger Juice's fate--in ways they never could've imagined. The expansive story, nimbly told from both human and orangutan viewpoints, gives glimpses into different class, race, and even species experiences while introducing readers to life in Indonesia and the plight of the orangutans. Ari and Malia are warm and well-intentioned guides, and it's impossible to resist Ginger Juice's gentle charms. A compelling call to action and a crucial reminder that, while doing what is right is not always easy, it is always worthwhile.

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November 18, 2022

Gr 5-8-A genuine and thoughtful realistic novel that focuses on protecting our animals and resources. Malia has lived her whole life in Indonesia. After the death of her father, her mother wants to move them back to her hometown in Canada. Malia has strong convictions about saving the orangutans and stopping the destruction of the rainforests. Ari is visiting his uncle to attend school, but during a chance meeting gets a handout from Malia that gets him thinking. His uncle owns a successful restaurant, but has an orangutan named Ginger Juice on display. Ari wants to help Ginger Juice but isn't sure how. Incorporating Ginger Juice's perspective in addition to Malia's and Ari's, this moving middle grade novel will keep kids interested. Readers will be putting the pieces of the plot together as they turn each compelling page. Kadarusman adeptly weaves factual information about orangutans and the rainforest into the fictional story. VERDICT A recommended purchase for elementary or middle school libraries. A perfect choice to give to fans of The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, and an inspiring tale in support of environmental conservation.-Elizabeth Pelayo

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August 20, 2022
Berani is a powerful middle-grade story about animal activism set in Indonesia, by the Indonesian-Australian author of Music for Tigers. Weaving in two interconnected stories and three voices, including that of a captive orangutan, Michelle Kadarusman creates a number of moral dilemmas for the book's protagonists and shows them working together on an orangutan rescue. Malia is passionate about advocating for the orangutan habitat in Sumatra, but she gets in serious trouble at school when her petition to help build awareness of palm oil is shared online, expressly against the request of her mother and her teacher. Ari has moved from his small village to a bigger town to continue his education, but he feels guilty his female cousin is not given the same opportunity, and worried about Ginger Juice, the orangutan kept in a cage at his uncle’s restaurant. When Ari is given a petition by Malia, it gives him the information he needs to help Ginger Juice. The story is exciting and engaging, with strong character development as Malia and Ari learn to take agency in their own lives, making some big decisions about the world they want to live in. Berani is ideal for animal lovers or readers interested in activism and would also be a good choice for book clubs. Highly recommended for readers aged nine to 12. Angela Crocombe is a senior children’s buyer at Readings Kids. Read her interview with Michelle Kadarusman on Berani here.